Wanting To Do

[John Terefenko]

I am getting the urge to try my hand at some hollow form turning. Nothing big. Maybe some small pots. My question is what is a good starting tool without breaking the bank??? Also what are some of the do's and don'ts when hollowing???? Thanks for the replys.

[Steve Schlumpf]

John - the first tool that comes to mind is the one I started off with. It is great for boxes and small hollow forms and it will give you a feel of what hollowing is all about. Here is the tool - but I didn't do any price compares - just grabbed a photo to show what I am talking about: http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/12954

Biggest thing to go with hollowing is to keep the cutter sharp and real close to the center line of the turning. To high or to low and the cutter either grabs or just rubs the wood. Takes practice and lots of patience but the end result is worth it!

As you get into this a little more - ask questions! Have fun with it!

[Dewey Torres]

John - the first tool that comes to mind is the one I started off with. It is great for boxes and small hollow forms and it will give you a feel of what hollowing is all about. Here is the tool - but I didn't do any price compares - just grabbed a photo to show what I am talking about: http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/12954

Biggest thing to go with hollowing is to keep the cutter sharp and real close to the center line of the turning. To high or to low and the cutter either grabs or just rubs the wood. Takes practice and lots of patience but the end result is worth it!

As you get into this a little more - ask questions! Have fun with it!

Steve,
Had a feeling you would post that one;)!

Yes when I too get into it I will also post questions. I will try to make it soon!

[Reed Gray]

There are a host of home made tools as well. I think a forum search will turn them up. Oland tool is one, great for simple forms, without shoulders. Try a pencil cup first, and some small end grain bowls as well, then try for a more closed form.
robo hippy

[Dewey Torres]

...Try a pencil cup first, and some small end grain bowls as well, then try for a more closed form.
robo hippy

Reed,
What is a pencil cup?
I am guessing a cup to hold pencils but don't laugh at me if I am wrong please.:o

[charlie knighton]

you might want to do very small turnings at first like xmas ornments,
Bob Rosand sells a very nice inexpensive hook tool for this, i first ran across mention of him on this board//// the tool is good for up to 2 1/2 inches diameter, but it is enough to get an idea of the forces involved

http://www.rrosand.com/

this is a to get your feet wet

[Jeff Nicol]

I agree with Robo Hippy, the oland tool is as simple and easy to use and make. All it it is, is a rod of your determined dia. with a hole drilled in the end that does not have to be perfectly centered. Then get some tool steel either 1/4" square or 3/16" square and mount it in the end, this can be done with set screws or epoxy it you don't have the tools to drill and tap the rod. My favorite is a 5/8" rod with a 1/4" square cutter in it. The cutter is ground at a roughly 45 or less and is really a scaper, but works great. I use a reground 5/16" drill bit in it also that works even better that the square stock. It is a little more grabby down in deep a hollow form but in a mostly open form not to bad because you can watch what the drill cutter is doing. You could try the drill cutter later after you master the square one. The great thing about the Oland tool is you can make it any length that works for you and any size to fit the tooling you want to put in it!

I like it cheap or cheaper!! So home made is best!

Good luck!

Jeff

[Burt Alcantara]

If you want to go real cheap, get a long screw driver with a flat blade and grind it down so you have a very sharp edge. Practice on small blocks of wood to get the feel of the tool. Might seem weird but eventually, you'll end up doing this anyway because hollowing tools are very basic -- straight boring or some type of angled tool. All others are home-made.

You can make tools out of anything metal as long as it's hard and will hold an edge for at least a little while.

David Ellsworth makes all of his tools and advises his students to do the same.

Burt

[David Christopher]

Reed,
What is a pencil cup?
I am guessing a cup to hold pencils but don't laugh at me if I am wrong please.:o


Dewey, you should have one on your desk.. yes it holds pencils..but for you it would black ink pens

[John Terefenko]

I agree with Robo Hippy, the oland tool is as simple and easy to use and make. All it it is, is a rod of your determined dia. with a hole drilled in the end that does not have to be perfectly centered. Then get some tool steel either 1/4" square or 3/16" square and mount it in the end, this can be done with set screws or epoxy it you don't have the tools to drill and tap the rod. My favorite is a 5/8" rod with a 1/4" square cutter in it. The cutter is ground at a roughly 45 or less and is really a scaper, but works great. I use a reground 5/16" drill bit in it also that works even better that the square stock. It is a little more grabby down in deep a hollow form but in a mostly open form not to bad because you can watch what the drill cutter is doing. You could try the drill cutter later after you master the square one. The great thing about the Oland tool is you can make it any length that works for you and any size to fit the tooling you want to put in it!

I like it cheap or cheaper!! So home made is best!

Good luck!

Jeff


Jeff

Do you have any photos of the one you made???

Thanks all for the replys.

[Cyril Griesbach]

John, the Sorby Multi-tool that Steve links is a fine entry level tool for hollowing but like all Sorby tools the handle is nearly worthless. I suggest taking it off and adding a longer, heavier handle from an aftermarket source or making your own. Mike Jackofsky, a noted hollow form turner uses this tool extensively although he is now marketing his own line of hollowing tools. (Imagine that!) http://www.mikejackofsky.com/

[Allen Neighbors]

These are easy to make. The "swan neck" is good for hollowing under shoulders of HFs... no torque... because the cutting tip is in line with the center shaft.
The cutting bits are held in by set screws. Just regular cold rolled or hot rolled steel will work for the tool shafts... it can be bent, drilled and tapped, and is plenty strong enough. Pipes of different sizes work well for the handles, and can be partially filled with BBs for the weight.

[Jeff Morneault]

These are easy to make. The "swan neck" is good for hollowing under shoulders of HFs... no torque... because the cutting tip is in line with the center shaft.
The cutting bits are held in by set screws. Just regular cold rolled or hot rolled steel will work for the tool shafts... it can be bent, drilled and tapped, and is plenty strong enough. Pipes of different sizes work well for the handles, and can be partially filled with BBs for the weight.

Allen, how do you make your nice clean bends!!? Are you heating up to cherry red then bending on a vice. I've been wanting to do this for some time but haven't found that elusive roundtuit (I don't think they sell them round here). I'd like to be able to bend a piece of 5/8" cold rolled but what's the process (I'd like to put in a 1/4" cutter).

Jeff

[Bill Bolen]

I also started with the Sorby tool Steve linked you to. It does well but I quickly moved to a homemade Oland tool. Go to Darrel F's site at aroundthewoods.com. He has a nice tutorial on making the Oland and a wealth of turning info too. Start off with some small lidded boxes. Being an open form you can watch the tool cut and put together what you see with what you feel through the tool..Bill...

[John Terefenko]

Thanks William I will give it a look see.

[Jeff Nicol]

I will get one with both cutters on here tomorrow.

Jeff

[Mat Ashton]

I am getting the urge to try my hand at some hollow form turning. Nothing big. Maybe some small pots. My question is what is a good starting tool without breaking the bank??? Also what are some of the do's and don'ts when hollowing???? Thanks for the replys.

Depending on how handy you are and your connections to those that have some tools that may or may not be needed you could make up a few boring bars with cutters and handles yourself. All mine are hand made. Anything I needed to bend was done with a regular open fire as I don't have the torches.

[Bernie Weishapl]

John, the Sorby Multi-tool that Steve links is a fine entry level tool for hollowing but like all Sorby tools the handle is nearly worthless. I suggest taking it off and adding a longer, heavier handle from an aftermarket source or making your own. Mike Jackofsky, a noted hollow form turner uses this tool extensively although he is now marketing his own line of hollowing tools. (Imagine that!) http://www.mikejackofsky.com/

Thanks for the link Cyril. Those tools look really interesting. I just got a e-mail back from Mike with some info on them. He seems like a really nice guy and answered real quick. He said CSUSA is going to carry them. Rather pricey though.

[Jeff Nicol]

Jeff

Do you have any photos of the one you made???

Thanks all for the replys.
John, Sorry it took me so long to get these on here for you, but here they are. There are 3 different sized rods so I can get into smaller openings. The other is just a variation on the Oland or any other hollowing type tool. It is just a 1/4" square boring bar for metal working but works great for wood too. THe end shown is at a 45 and the other end the tool will be 90 degrees to the shaft. I tried to get good pictures of the drill cutter so I hope you see what I have done to it. The square cutter is up to user preferince or what works best.

Good luck,

Jeff

[John Terefenko]

Jeff, Thanks for posting the photos. I may try making something of my own to look something similar. At least it would not be a great expense.